To savor and enjoy the gastronomy of Alcázar de San Juan it is essential to know the products of the land with which the delicacies of our tables have been elaborated and complemented for centuries. Three are the star products of our gastronomy: cheese, wine and “Tortas de Alcazar” (Alcazar Cakes).
All these products are made with the best raw materials: cereals, in their multitude of varieties, with which breads and sweets have been made; vines from which excellent white, red and rosé wines are produced; and cheese made from the milk of La Mancha sheep, whose lambs are also an appreciated delicacy.
Enjoying these products first hand and learning about their production processes in Alcázar de San Juan is possible thanks to the offer of visits to wineries, cheese dairies and bakeries where commented tastings and samplings can be carried out. Consult the offer of visits in [link to wineries, cheese dairies and ovens web area].
Next to the wineries, and to learn more about the excellence of our wines, you can also visit the Wine Museum that the Denomination of Origin La Mancha has at its headquarters (Avenida de Criptana, 73).
The most traditional dishes and the latest gastronomic trends have their place in Alcázar de San Juan. They will be able to taste them in the wide and varied offer of establishments for all interests and tastes available in the city. [enlace a zona web de bares y restaurantes]
To complete your gastronomic experience, we propose a different route, where you can mix historical references to the gastronomy of La Mancha, evidenced in several of the heritage elements of the town, which you can visit while tasting and sampling.
1. The Torcularium or oil mill from the Roman period (2nd century A.D.) in the archaeological sites of Gracia Street (access through the Palace Chapel).
2. The tools and utensils of our La Mancha kitchens, many of them made of clay and ceramics, can be found in the Formma Museum of La Mancha Pottery (Calle San Antonio s7n).
3. In the kitchen and pantry of the Museo Casa del Hidalgo (Calle Cautivo, 24) we can learn about the most traditional techniques of food preservation such as the use of subway cellars for the preservation of wine, as well as the origin of the main dishes of our cuisine, many of them referenced in Don Quixote, and how they are prepared.
4. the great protagonists of the landscape of La Mancha and Alcázar de San Juan, the Windmills (Cerro de San Antón), where cereals have been transformed for centuries into flour to make the typical breads and sweets.
5. Within the walls of the Convent of Santa Clara (Plaza de Santa Clara, 1), with the flour from our windmills, the world famous “Tortas de Alcázar” were made for centuries from a delicious and delicate sponge cake.
